Tag Archives: lineup

It was made official Sunday morning that the Phillies acquired 3B Michael Young and cash from the Texas Rangers for reliever Josh Lindblom and prospect Lisalverto Bonilla.

It was a good fit for both teams, with the Phillies needing a third baseman and Young wanting to continue to compete as he waived his no trade clause to Philadelphia.

“The baseball part was easy,” Young told reporters on Monday in Texas. “I have a great opportunity in Philadelphia, having the opportunity to go from one great team to another. They have a position for me; I was ready for a new challenge. I like a new challenge. As a competitor, I want to see what it’s like. The hard part was my family and what it would be like for them, being away for a summer. But once we embraced that, the baseball part was easy.”

The Phillies filled a huge hole at third for one season, prolonging their search for a more permanent solution at the hot corner. They did so without giving up too much, especially while boasting a deep and rich farm system of pitchers.

Lindblom was acquired in the Shane Victorino trade to the Dodgers before the deadline last season. He didn’t really wow the Phillies coaches, especially in late-game situations where they wanted him to pitch. Lindblom posted a 4.19 ERA in 38 2/3 innings of work in the 8th inning or later during the entire season.

HOUSTON — Nearly a week has passed and the Phillies have yet to turn Double-A outfield prospect Darin Ruf loose on Major League hitting.

The fans on Twitter have been growing a bit restless at this notion, and deservedly so. But they also have to remember that Ruf, despite being 26, has never faced hitting above the Double-A level, and that is a huge jump.

The main reason Charlie Manuel wanted Ruf in Philadelphia the first place was to see what Ruf can do first-hand, and work with the slugger’s hitting mechanics to prepare him for a season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley next season.

FRANDSEN OPENING EYES — Despite Placido Polanco being healthy, Kevin Frandsen is still getting the lion’s share of the starts at third base.

Frandsen will get the call at third base once again on Tuesday night against the New York Mets. It is his ninth start in the past 11 games.

Frandsen has given Charlie Manuel no reason to sit him on the bench. The Phillies third baseman has been on fire at the plate lately. He is hitting .417 with five RBIs in his last 10 games.

Since being called up from Lehigh Valley, Frandsen has done everything right. While most of the praise has been for his bat, his defense has been surprisingly strong. He’s made several diving stops to help out the Phillies pitchers.